Zanzibar is conducting a nationwide massive campaign to kill black crows blamed for destruction of environment in the islands, Mr Sheha Hamdan, director- forestry department said on Saturday.

Black Crows

“Although the project has started, the public awareness and training of some implementers continues. The long term plan is to wipeout all India black crows because they are no longer useful,” Hamdan said.

He said officers from the defence and security departments, tourist hotel staffs and some members of the community are involved in the training to help in eradicating the black crows estimated to be 1.2 million, same number with Zanzibar population.

Hamdani said the project started as a pilot project in April this year, thanking the government of Finland for supporting the project, saying that already 35,000 black crows have been killed.

“Finland has already injected about 200m/-. We have purchased traps, poison, a truck, three motorbikes (Vespas), and we are running adverts and drama to sensitize people,” Hamdani said.  The director said that the project is being backed by the department of environment which has approved that the black crows imported from India in 1891 are destructive to the biodiversity.

Hamdan said that some birds have disappeared from Zanzibar because of the black crow, “the birds also consume chicks, eggs, destroy TV antennas, and destroy or steal goods and food in hospitals and in homes, including women ornaments. We have decided to eradicate the birds.”

By ISSA YUSSUF, Tanzania Daily News